Opportunity News: Community Colleges, the Minimum Wage, and Income Inequality
•Opportunity Nation shares key stories that explore opportunity-related issues in powerful, provocative ways. Many of these articles and op-eds include new data and research on key economic, educational, social and civic factors that affect upward mobility and community well-being.
As a bipartisan organization committed to working with diverse leaders, organizations and institutions, Opportunity Nation does not endorse all of the opinions or content shared here. But we strongly believe the exchange of ideas and civil dialogue are central to finding common ground and making significant, sustained progress as a society.
Share these links on social media and with your networks. Let’s keep the national conversation going about how we can all work to #ExpandOpportunity to more Americans.
Community Colleges
A new report by the American Association of Community Colleges found that community colleges contribute $809 billion a year to the US economy. And for every $1 a student spends on their education, he or she receives a return of $3.80.
Youth Disconnection
An inspiring blog post from our partner Year Up:
“There are millions of young Americans who need a chance to develop their skills and prove themselves in the workplace. If we shift our perceptions and talent sourcing practices accordingly, we will discover a deep well of talent that can help us close our skills gap and fuel the U.S. economy for decades. In the process, we’d also go a long way toward restoring the basic premise of the American Dream: that where we come from need never determine where we’re going.”
Minimum Wage
The debate over President Obama’s push to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour intensified this week when the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office released a report saying the increase would boost worker incomes but could cost jobs.
Civic Engagement
Check out what the National Conference on Citizenship says about how community engagement strengthens economies, neighborhoods and networks.
Income Inequality
A new Brookings study finds greater income inequality in economically thriving cities, but not because the rich are getting richer. Rather, the poor are getting poorer.
Opportunity Nation
Opportunity Nation is a bipartisan, national campaign comprised of more than 350 cross-sector organizations working together to expand economic mobility and close the opportunity gap in America. Opportunity Nation envisions the United States as a nation where everyone – regardless of where they were born – has equal access to opportunity, economic mobility, and success at all stages of life.
